Give Me Love
by Astrocract
Summary: "A love spell has been cast on you. The first person you touch with your bare hands will fall in love with you." In which Tom, convinced that Shizuo needs some love, brings him to a gypsy who casts a spell on him. They bump into Izaya on the way, though, and things get complicated. Shizaya, smut, all the good stuff.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapt. 1**

Tom pulled the blonde by the arm, leading him through the crowds of people and colourful tents. The circus was in town in Ikebukuro and Tom had just decided on his own that Shizuo Heiwajima could have a rest day to check it out since he _seriously _needed a break or something like that, apparently. Said male cursed as someone bumped into his shoulder for the thousandth time since they arrived 5 minutes ago, messing up his crisp, black vest and pure white dress shirt. He swore that the next person who came within a foot of him would receive a serious blow to the head, accompanied by a concussion of course.

"Hey, this is fun, isn't it?" Tom laughed, eyeing a man who walked past them on stilts. The place was bustling with people, adults and kids alike, and filled with noise and good cheer.

"No. It's hot and I'm getting Kasuka's clothes dirty," the blonde replied tersely, tugging his arm out of Tom's grasp.

"Hmm, there you go about your brother again," his companion sighed melodramatically, throwing his arms in the air. "I think it's about time you find someone else to occupy your time with."

Shizuo narrowed his eyes behind his shades, trying to figure out what Tom was getting at. "What do you mean?"

Tom grinned, a playful expression passed his face. Without a word, he grabbed the blonde's arm and began to drag him off somewhere. Shizuo's questions were left unanswered as Tom kept focus on finding something. Finally, they reached the end of the road where a tiny little tent, almost a teepee, really, stood alone. It had a more mysterious air about it as compared to the joyous ambience of the tents further in the heart of the carnival.

"Tom, what the hell?"

Tom didn't bother replying him but instead led him into the mysterious tent through the narrow opening. The tent was a lot bigger than it looked and inside sat a woman on a mat. She wore some sort of turban or scarf around her head, covering all her hair, save for a few curls which managed to escape the cloth confines, and she wore a yellow robe, her wrists decorated with beaded bangles. There was a small table in front of her with a crystal ball sitting on its centre.

"Yes, gentlemen, what may I do for you?" She spoke grimly.

Tom was unfazed by the queerness of the situation and took a seat opposite the woman in front of the table. He gestured for Shizuo to join him. With a grunt, Shizuo compelled.

"My friend here needs a little boost in his love life."

"What—" the blonde began but was cut off when the woman started jingling her beads.

"Ah. What you need is a love spell," she responded, digging under the table for something.

Shizuo, getting uncomfortable, leaned towards his companion. "Tom, I think this woman is legit. Is this safe?"

"Sure. Witchcraft is completely fine if used for harmless means," he replied, eyes focused on the woman who had taken out a cinnamon stick, a bowl and a small bottle of fluid. Without a word, she began mixing the ingredients together with her bare hands, chanting in a strange language which couldn't pass off as Latin or African. The two males were transfixed at the sight, mouths hanging agape and eyes widening.

After a while, she stopped. The tent went quiet as no one moved a muscle. Then, suddenly, the woman smiled brightly, eyeing Shizuo. "Alright then. Now, a love spell has been cast on you. The first person you touch with your bare hands will fall in love with you, that's how the spell works. So don't go around touching people unnecessarily, this spell will only work on _one _person only."

Shizuo glanced down at his hands. They still looked exactly the same, but just to be safe, he stuffed them into his pants pocket. That would be easy enough, he assumed. They thanked the strange woman and left the tent, the sunlight and noise hitting them again once they were out. Shizuo lit up a cigarette.

"Now, that wasn't so bad," Tom commented, patting the blonde on the back. "Now just touch some pretty girl and she'll be all over you. You lucky guy."

_Hmm. _

If anything, this was definitely interesting. But Shizuo hardly knew what he would use this 'power' for. He wasn't interested in other humans; he wasn't like the flea who _adored _them, spending every minute of his day fantasizing about them. Really, for a full time informant, he sure had a lot of time on his hands. He was everywhere Shizuo was, always trying to piss him off, and succeeding in that.

Shizuo got angry even thinking of him and suddenly, as if on cue, a familiar voice rang out. "Shizu-Chan!"

The blonde felt his eye twitch and started looking around for the damn flea. He knew it was too good to be true that he wouldn't be here today. Finally, he spotted the brunette standing on the top of a 3 storey building, waving his pocket knife around dangerously.

"Izaya!" Shizuo screamed. "What the hell are you doing here?!"

"I love carnivals; there's always so many humans," Izaya replied leisurely.

"Well, get out. I don't like you being here."

"Mm, make me." And in a blink of an eye, Izaya was speeding off the roof, flashing Shizuo a cheeky grin as his ran away. Shizuo felt his blood boil as his cigarette snapped between his fingers, and was thrown on the floor.

"Aw, man," Tom began. "Shizuo don't—"

Before he could finish, the blond had already taken off, chasing after his arch nemesis.

"IZAYAAAAAA!" He screamed as he went, searching for a vending machine anywhere. He found one to his right, picked it up and threw it at Izaya. He dodged it swiftly though, jumping off the roof onto the street and weaving his way through the crowd. Shizuo followed, wishing looks alone could kill because if they could, no doubt Izaya would be sprawled dead on the floor by now.

He picked up everything along his way and threw it at the brunette who still managed not to get hit. Shizuo was getting frustrated by now and vowed that he would kill Izaya with his bare hands once he got him.

They were nearing the opposite end of the road where a dead end stood. Izaya got prepared to leap up the wall onto one of the buildings when he slipped on a melted ice cream cone and fell down. He really hated kids sometimes. Shizuo, on the other end, was thanking his lucky stars as he drawer nearer to the other brunette. Izaya, his back against the wall and with no more room for a fine lift-off to reach the top of the wall, held his hands up.

"Ok, Shizu-Chan, you got me," he smirked.

Shizuo kept his face grim. "You're damn right you fucking louse."

"Now, let's just forget this and go enjoy the carnival, ne?"

"You wish! You're trapped, Izaya." He stepped forward until he was an arms distance away.

"You don't wanna do tha—"

Shizuo cut him off by wrapping his hand around the shorter male's neck, pressing him further back against the wall, trapping him by his throat. Izaya gagged, clawing at the blonde's arm, but he refused to let go. He loved watching the flea squirm under his grip. Though he left enough space for Izaya to be able to breathe, it was just enough to have him suffocate too. He was sadistic, so sue him. Just as it looked like the brunette was going to pass out or something, Tom interrupted them frantically.

"Oh, God..." he managed out between breaths. "Shizuo, sto—oh shit, the spell!"

"What spell?" Shizuo turned back, ready to wallop Tom for interfering, when his eyes widened, coming to a realization. "Oh holy Fuck!" He released Izaya, who fell to the ground coughing. Both males watched as he recovered from his coughing fit, waiting for a reaction. Shizuo prayed the spell had all been a hoax, that nothing had happened.

Izaya got up clumsily, rubbing his throat. He glanced up and looked at Tom and Shizuo, his eyes slightly glazed over. "...Shizu-Chan?" His voice still _sounded _normal, nothing strange there. He seemed surprisingly calm for someone who had almost been strangled to death, but the oddness of his reaction could probably be from the lack of oxygen to his brain. Soon, he would be grinning and shooting annoying remarks again, Shizuo convinced himself.

Those hopes were dashed, however, when Izaya latched himself onto the blonde all of a sudden, hugging him tightly.

Shizuo recoiled as if he had been struck. "Oi, Izaya. What are doing, you louse! Get away from me."

Izaya looked ready to cry. "Wh—what? But I love you."

_Ooh shit. _

Shizuo started cursing himself for being so careless. Just then, Tom burst out laughing, pointing a finger at the blonde's face. "Oh gosh, Shizuo, you should see your face right now!"

Glaring at his companion, he growled, "Shut up, Tom. We are going to find that gypsie lady right now and get this mess fixed!"

Tom agreed with a shrug, but as they began to walk away, Izaya followed behind them, trying to grab Shizuo's arm. "Hey, Izaya, let go."

The brunette shook his head defiantly.

"Look, I'll only say this once: you are not in love with me."

"I am. You're the handsomest, most amazing person I've ever met."

"No—"

"Shizuo, let it be," Tom interjected, shaking his head. "Let's just hope there's some kind of antidote for this."

They reached the teepee at the end a few minutes later and made their way in hurriedly; Shizuo sat down noisily to get the woman's attention whilst Tom and Izaya sat quietly by the side. Not bothering with greetings, Shizuo got straight to the point. "Hey lady, remember that spell you put on me? How do you get rid of it?"

The woman looked up. "You mean the love spell?"

"Yeah."

"What's wrong with it?"

"Nothing. It's working fine. _That's _what's wrong with it."

The woman was about to ask when she saw Izaya clinging on to the blonde and began to put two and two together. "Ah, it's only been 10 minutes and you can't even keep your hands to yourself, eh."

Shizuo clenched his jaw, not wanting to admit that she was, _technically, _right about that. "Look," he sighed, "just tell me how to undo it and it'll be completely fine, ok?"

"You can't undo a spell."

"Isn't there any way? Like, you could give me a hate spell or something to cross it out. Or maybe I could touch someone else and..."

"None of those things will work. I warned you, this spell works on one person and one person only."

"So there's _absolutely _no way to get rid of it?" Shizuo groaned.

"There's only one way to get rid of a love spell. The spell will go away only when you fall in love with that person as well."

"WHAT?"

"You heard me."

"The only way I can wear out the spell is if I _fall in love with him?" _The blonde spoke in disbelief. That was completely impossible!

"That's right," the lady smiled. "Now, if that's all, I wish you the best of luck."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapt. 2**

"Shizu-Chan," Izaya whined as they exited the tent.

Shizuo ignored him, cursing under his breath. "Stupid gypsy. She can't even remove her own God damn spell? What kind of..."

Tom sighed. "Well, maybe you could just _try _to maybe...kind of...fall in love with him?"

Shizuo stopped in his tracks. "Are you fucking serious?"

"I don't see any other way to get him to stop liking you."

"I'll never stop loving you," Izaya interrupted, quickly latching himself onto the blonde's arm.

Rolling his eyes, Shizuo gestured to him. "See what I have to deal him? How the hell do you expect me to fall in love with _this?"_

Izaya frowned and looked up at him. "You mean, you're not in love with me too?"

"No, oh God, no! Now will you stop clinging on to me?"

The brunette considered it for a moment, then shook his head. "Nope. I'll work hard to make you love me back."

"Look, flea, you are under a SPELL. Do you know what that means? Your feelings are not real."

"They're definitely real, Shizu-Chan."

"Do you even remember what we were doing before you 'fell in love' with me?"

"I've loved you from the moment we met so I don't think we could have been 'doing anything'. "

"So you have no recollection at all?"

Izaya shook his head.

"Well, we used to hate each other. In fact, I still hate you."

"I never hated you," Izaya gasped.

"You did, you just don't remember," Shizuo explained before an annoying beeping sounded from the confines of Tom's jeans pocket.

"Oops, that's mine," he announced sheepishly. Flipping open open his phone, he turned away to take the call. All three males were quiet for a moment save for the occasional _oh, yes_ and _mm hm's _that Tom let out. After a minute or two, he hung up and turned back to the two. "Uh, I have some business to attend to."

"What?"

"I mean, I have to leave. Now. You two love birds can go run around the carnival, alright?"

Shizuo gaped at him. "Wait, no Tom you can't-"

Before he could finish his protest, Tom was already running off in the opposite direction, waving to them. "Goodbye!"

"Wow, how exciting. This'll be like our first date then," Izaya remarked, beaming up at the blonde who had a stricken look plastered to his face.

"No. No no no. I am going home."

"Oh. Then I'll follow you."

"No, you're not. Go away."

"I'm following you wherever."

Shizuo took a deep breath, rubbing his temples with his forefinger. "Look, Izaya, you love me right?" He waited for the brunette to nod before he continued. "Then listen to me now and go away."

"No," Izaya argued back. Oh great, he was a non-passive kind of lover. Shizuo was still kind of hoping he would be a quiet, obedient type who shied away from public acknowledgement and shit. He was upfront as an enemy, so _maybe _he would be more idle as a lover, Shizuo thought. He was wrong, however, again. Now, it seemed he would either have to bring the flea around the carnival or bring him back home, neither which was a good option for him, but the former was definitely the better choice.

So, sighing, he finally agreed. "Ok, louse. We'll walk around the damn carnival. But this is NOT a date, got it."

Izaya, though, seemed to have only heard the first part of Shizuo's reply because he got excited right away, grabbing his hand and pulling him roughly to the heart of the event where there were rides and entertainment.

"Do you want cotton candy?" Izaya asked, nudging his partner lightly. Shizuo shrugged. "Ok, then." He made his way to the candy floss stand where a man was spinning the sweet. "Two, please." He watched wide eyed as the man began to make it, the solid sugar turning into fluffs of pink floss. "Wow, I didn't know cotton candy was made like that," he said in amazement, turning to the blonde behind him.

Shizuo sighed; he seemed to be doing a lot of sighing today; and forced out a smile. As much as he hated Izaya and the fact that Izaya was in love with him now, he knew that this wasn't the flea's fault. In fact, it was his own fault. So maybe he should try not treating the raven like shit and punishing him that way since that would in no way seem fair. Although he wouldn't fall in love with him as Tom suggested, because _that _was truly impossible, but maybe he could try being nice for a change. "Yeah, it's cool."

Izaya grinned, obviously pleased that Shizuo had actually given a proper answer. "It is."

When the candy floss was done, Izaya took the two sticks and passed one to Shizuo who dove into it immediately. The raven ate his delicately as they continued walking around the carnival, Izaya constantly stopping to look at all the entertainment. Magical acts, jugglists, circus animals, he laughed at them all, and Shizuo joined in despite himself. The bustling of the crowd, the upbeat music, and Izaya was getting to him, but he didn't mind. In fact, he liked it. He liked this new Izaya a lot better; without his snarky responses to everything and clinging onto Shizuo instead of running away, making the blonde chase _him, _he was a lot easier to talk to. It was hard to believe this was the same person he had tried to strangle just a little under 10 minutes ago. If anything, Shizuo was actually _glad _Izaya was under the spell.

Though he still wasn't _that_ used to it. When they went into a haunted house, or tent, more appropriately, Izaya had grabbed on to him everytime he got frightened and Shizuo had gotten the urge to swat him away but controlled himself by clenching his hands into fists.

They went on rides and played carnival games in which Shizuo won a blown up orca toy and handed it to Izaya after he called it cute, insisting that he keep it.

"But don't get the wrong idea. I just don't want it to go to waste," Shizuo had said after he saw the huge smile perpetually plastered on the raven's face.

"Ok, Shizu-Chan, whatever you say," Izaya had replied, still grinning.

When they went into the bouncy castle; Shizuo had finally agreed only after a lot of persuasion; it was swamped with kids. Izaya had no problem with that though, it seemed he was as good with kids as he was with riling Shizuo up. When they were done with the bouncy castle, they went onto the paddle boats. Shizuo was hesitant at first, seeing as most of the people who went on them were couples, but caved in when Izaya _begged. _It was fun, surprisingly, and Shizuo could feel himself start to enjoy it.

It was sunset when they finally left the carnival, both dizzy from excitement and running around on unstable, inflatable grounds. They walked a stretch of the road before Shizuo turned to the raven.

"Izaya, you're not following me back."

Izaya turned to the ground. "Why?"

"Because I don't want you following me everywhere," Shizuo said as if it were the most obvious thing ever.

"...Can I at least get a goodbye kiss?"

Shizuo felt his face contort in disgust. He knew that was an effect of the spell, but he couldn't help it. "Fuck no!"

Izaya looked up then, face blank. "Just one?"

"Mm mm. Not in a million years. Look, once the spell wears off, if it does, you're gonna regret ever asking me that, ok? This isn't really what you want."

Izaya sighed. "Alright," he compelled, must to the blonde's surprise. Then he started smiling, hugging the inflated orca to his chest. "Well, at least I got to spend the day with you today."

Shizuo nodded, smiling slightly. "Well, goodbye louse."

Izaya walked away slowly before realizing that Shizuo wasn't going to call out to him to lengthen their time together and fading quickly into the darkness.

Shizuo went off as well, muttering a silent 'don't get too used to it' under his breath.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapt. 3**

When Shizuo woke up the next morning, he was still hoping that either, number one, it was all an elaborate dream or, number two, the spell had somehow worn off. Shaking his bed hair out, he headed into the bathroom to get cleaned up, stepping into the shower to rinse the sleep out of his skin. After which, he got dressed into his usual attire of vest, cuffed collared shirt and black pants. He made himself a cup of coffee and downed it before lighting up a cigarette as he left his apartment.

Tom was already waiting for him downstairs when he ambled down the stairs, giving the debt collector a wry look. "What's with that face?" He asked, meaning the goofy grin that was plastered on the brunette's face.

"Well…" Tom started. "I was just curious as to how the day went yesterday. You know, after I left you and Izaya alone?"

Shizuo scoffed as they began walking. "Oh, yeah, thanks a lot for that by the way." He was a little upset. That meant that it hadn't been a dream. Oh well.

"You're welcome. Now, seriously, what happened?"

"If you want to know so badly, you should've stuck around," Shizuo argued back, still refusing to give his employer the satisfaction of knowing what happened after he landed them in the situation.

"Come on, Shizuo," Tom pleaded, stopping in the middle of the road to pout at the blonde.

"Tch, you're like a kid," Shizuo said but nodded slightly anyway. "OK, fine. _So, _the flea refused to let me go home unless he could come along, and I didn't want that happening, so I agreed to walk around the damn carnival. It was alright."

"You didn't try to kill him, did you?"

"Nah. I decided that I shouldn't be such a douche to him since he _is _under a spell and all. This wasn't his fault," he shrugged back.

"That's great," Tom smiled in approval, clapping Shizuo on the back. That was a nice change of character in the blonde for a change. He _really _hated seeing Shizuo get violent, no matter the reason, so the fact that he actually went a whole day hanging out with Izaya without busting a vein was really refreshing to hear. "He's not such a bad guy."

Shizuo paused. "…Yeah, I guess not, ever since the spell and all. He's actually quite decent."

"Mm hm. Plus, it's not like he's ugly or anything. Quite the contrary, actually, so it mustn't be _that _bad spending some time with him."

The blonde cocked a brow. "The fuck, Tom. Just because I spent a few hours with him yesterday doesn't mean I've completely forgotten my hate for the guy. If given a choice, I would stay clear of him, that's the way I want it. It doesn't matter to me whether he's good looking or not."

"Ok, Ok," Tom raised his hands in surrender. "Sor-_ry_, you don't have to get so defensive."

"I—I'm not getting defensive. I'm just _saying…"_

"Yes, I get it. I'm just trying to say that…he's soft on the eyes, is what I'm getting at. I'd rather him than…a lot of other people."

Just as Shizuo was about to reply, something tackled him from behind. "Good _morning _Shizu-Chan!"

He stiffened, straightening up to get the informant off him. "Good morning."

"Mornin'!" Tom greeted enthusiastically, laying a hand on the blonde's shoulder as if trying to calm him down.

"So…where are you guys heading?" Izaya asked happily, proceeding to walk beside them as they went on.

"Oh, just…to the office, and stuff," Shizuo answered.

"Huh. I wish I didn't have to go for work today."

"I thought you liked your job." _Giving people's information to strangers without caring about the consequences for your own amusement, _Shizuo added in his mind but refrained from saying it out loud.

"Yeah, but I'd rather spend the day with you," he beamed. "I had so much fun yesterday!"

Shizuo caught Tom grinning from the corner of his eyes and sighed, adjusting his shades. "Yeah, it was pretty fun. But it _wasn't _a date and don't look forward to it happening again, ok?"

"Don't be so mean, Shizu-Chan. I know you enjoyed it too."

"I mean, in general, I would have enjoyed a day in the carnival with or without you there. In fact, I'd have preferred if you weren't there."

Izaya's face fell immediately and Shizuo knew that he had said something he shouldn't.

"That's harsh, Shizuo. What happened to 'not being a douche'?" Tom interjected after sensing the atmosphere.

The blonde frowned, knowing himself that he was the one in the wrong here. "Look, Izaya, I'm sor—"

"It's fine, I get it," the raven responded coldly.

Silence hung in the air as no one knew what to say. Izaya was staring down at his feet and Tom was giving Shizuo such disapproving looks. Shizuo, caught in the middle, did what he thought was best. "Hey, uh, Izaya?"

Izaya didn't respond this time.

The blonde inhaled a deep breath before speaking again. "Breakfast. Do you want to go for breakfast? With me?"

Izaya hesitated before replying again. "You don't have to force yourself."

"…I mean it."

The informant looked up, trying hard to hide his smile but the excitement in his voice betrayed his emotions. "Really?"

"Yeah, sure." He glanced at Tom, who nodded in approval. "I know a good pancake house down the block."

Izaya nodded eagerly, already radiating an aura of happiness. It was pretty cute, Shizuo thought, before he shook his head hard. Oh hell no, he did _not _just think of the flea as _cute. _Annoying, yes, unbearable, yes. Cute? Out of dictionary. "Shizu-Chan?" Izaya spoke up, interrupting his train of thought and he almost gagged when he realized how fucked up his mind was getting.

"Yeah, let's get going then. Bye, Tom. I'll see you in the office."

"Take your time!" Tom called out as they began to walk away, a playful tone edging his voice.

Shizuo rolled his eyes and walked off with Izaya, leading him towards the pancake house he mentioned. He couldn't believe he was actually taking the louse out for breakfast. What made him feel like he had to cheer Izaya up anyway? They were supposed to be arch enemies for God's sake and now they were heading off to eat _pancakes _together.

Ikebukuro was in for a surprise today.

They stopped in front of their destination, a cosy little cafe, and entered it, choosing a table near the entrance to sit at. A bubbly waitress came over immediately to take their order.

"Plain pancakes with maple syrup," Shizuo ordered glumly.

"How plain, Shizu-Chan," Izaya remarked. "I'll have chocolate pancakes with strawberries, whipped cream, butterscotch syrup and butter on the side."

The waitress nodded and flounced off. "Whatever. As long as we leave soon; I don't wanna be late for work."

"But Tom told you to 'take your time'."

"I know but I still don't want to be late."

"Ok," Izaya shrugged though his face became downcast a little.

Shizuo kept quiet and waited for their food to arrive patiently. As they waited in silence, he noticed the raven staring at him. "What?"

Izaya shook his head gently, smiling. "I just...like you a lot."

"I know."

"Yeah. I was hoping that you would _like _me too but it's tougher than I thought."

Shizuo sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Izaya-"

"Don't tell me I'm under a spell or that my feelings aren't real. And _please _don't tell me that you'll never return my feelings."

"I don't want to lie to you," Shizuo answered. "I mean, you're not a very bad guy. You used to be but ever since the spell, you toned down a little. But just...don't expect me to fall head over heels for you. That's not very possible."

Izaya frowned and Shizuo almost started to feel bad. _Almost. _He couldn't keep blaming himself for everything Izaya felt or said; none of it was his fault, he thought. Sure, it was his own carelessness for getting the spell on the flea, but Izaya would appreciate this once the spell wore off, if it even will. Because he was sure there was no way Izaya would have liked to hear that he and Shizuo had hooked up or whatever while he was in an ignorant state. Really, he was doing the informant a favor, and no one should ever have to feel bad about doing someone else a favor.

"Here's your food," the waitress showed up suddenly, carrying two big portions of pancakes. She laid the plates in front of them, beaming as she went. "Well, enjoy your date."

Shizuo almost choked on his own spit. "_What_?"

The waitress, sending something was wrong, quickly apoligised. "Uh...uh...I meant 'day', sorry. Slip of a tongue. Anyway, please enjoy your food, thank you!" She bowed slightly before running off.

"You don't have to react so strongly," Izaya remarked, poking at his pancakes.

"I wasn't. I was just shocked. Do we really look like we're together?"

The informant looked around the cafe before turning back to his blonde companion. "Honestly, yeah. But don't let that upset you; it's just that we look good together."

Shizuo cracked a smile then. "Us?"

"Mm hm. We look compatible."

"Do we?" He laughed out loud this time, thinking of how downright ridiculous the idea was.

"Yes. And I'm glad I finally got you to laugh," Izaya replied with a mouthful of pancakes.

They carried on eating until Izaya piped up again. "Yours looks _so _plain. Wanna try some of mine?" He gestured to his food. The blonde considered it for a minute, then nodded. His food did taste kind of boring. He was about to take some of the chocolate pancakes when Izaya stuffed a fork-full of it in his face. "Here you go, Shizu-Chan!"

"Uh..."

"What? Go on, try it!"

Shizuo blushed. Izaya was about to _feed him. _They was an awkward silence as the raven continued waving his fork at him as the blonde contemplated. Finally, he caved in and leaned forward, eating off Izaya's fork. Izaya was obviously contented with himself as he grinned ear to ear. "Good?"

"Mm hm."

They continued eating after that and Shizuo noticed Izaya constantly staring at him and smiling to himself. Great, he thought,groaning internally. If he wanted the flea to get over him, he'd have to act _a lot _harsher and stop giving in. But he was a good guy; he hated violence and he hated hurting people unless necessary. He couldn't help it.

_This _was tougher than he expected.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapt. 4**

Tom attacked as soon as Shizuo stepped into the office.

"How was breakfast?"

"Uhm, it was fine."

The brunette smirked, leaning on his elbows to get closer to his partner. His eyes screamed 'tell me more!' and his face shone mockingly. Shizuo was more than annoyed at that and scowled. "Stop it. Why are you always leaving me and the flea in that type of situation anyway?"

Tom thought, tapping his finger on his chin. "Well...it's interesting. Plus, you two look pretty cute together."

Shizuo almost choked on air. His eyes widened to the size of saucers as he stared at the smiling face in front of him. Why the hell did everyone think they look good together? They were suppose to be enemies for fuck's sake! This was a joke. Tom, noticing the look plastered on the blonde's face, snickered.

"Hey don't give me the _what-the-fuck _face. I mean it, and a lot of other people think so too! I've never approved of you two being enemies," he explained as if it was the most normal thing ever.

Shizuo felt his eye twitch. "Who says I need your approval!"

"Hey...I'm just saying-"

"Stop saying then! Just-just stop talking Tom. Fuck..."

Chuckling, Tom stood up. "You don't need to get so worked up. _You _were the one who invited him for breakfast. No one forced you into it."

"Don't remind me. Why the hell did I do that?"

"I have no idea. I was actually really shocked; but either way, I'm proud of you," he grinned. "Anyways, we need to go collect some debts now so enough of this tabloid talk. Let's go." He slapped Shizuo on the back to get him moving. Shizuo, happy to hear that they got a job, cheered up immediately, following after Tom like a dog even though his face still held a frown.

"Where are we going today?"

"Shinjuku."

_Oh, great, _Shizuo thought, _that's where that louse is. _

Despite that, a job was a job and the blonde couldn't turn it down. Anyway, just because they were going to that area doesn't mean that they had to go meet Izaya or anything. They were going they strictly for business. And Shizuo certainly felt like he's seen enough of the flea for one day.

So the two partners made their way to Shinjuku, Tom telling Shizuo about their debtee as they went. "He's in a gang so you better be careful dealing with him, Shizuo," Tom cautioned. Shizuo nodded absentmindedly, only paying attention to finding the person, a cigarette hanging between his lips. He scanned the area before he felt a hand rest firmly on his shoulder. "That's our guy," Tom spoke, Shizuo following his gaze to a teenager leaning by an alley wall.

"Jesus, Tom, shouldn't there be an age limit to borrowing cash? That _kid's _no older than 18!"

"Hey, I'm just doing my job," Tom shrugged in defence.

The blonde, accepting that, began cracking his knuckles as he made his way towards the teen. _This'll be an easy one, _he thought to himself. _That kid's no taller than my knee. _

"Don't use violence if you don't have to!" He heard Tom call after him though they both knew that warning would be in vain.

As Shizuo neared the guy, he caught his attention and the boy looked up at him with a condescending smirk on his lips. He probably knew of Shizuo, given his reputation both inside and outside Ikebukuro. "Hey, I believe you owe something. Care to pay up?"

The boy snorted. "Sorry, old man. Try me another day, eh."

Shizuo felt all his resolve slip away. He had never liked kids, especially disrespectful, irresponsible ones, at that. He plucked the cigarette out of his mouth and sighed. "Listen here you punk," he moved forward and grabbed his collar, forcing him onto the brick wall. "You're in a _very _bad position here, so don't try to be witty."

"Shizuo!" Tom yelled, noticing the blonde's actions.

Shizuo paid no mind and was about to continue when a knee came into contact with his stomach, causing him to loosen his grip on the bugger so he could slip out of his grasp and run off. "Better luck next time, old man!" The brat called, dashing off.

"BASTARD...!" Shizuo shouted and began to give chase. Tom followed after him, running as fast as his legs could carry him.

A vending machine flew across the street followed right after by a lamp post, then a stop sign. It didn't slow the brat down, though, and Shizuo was running out of things to throw. There were only so few vending machines in every corner. However, just as it seemed like the kid was going to get away, a black figure landed in front of him, stopping him in his tracks. Shizuo recognised Izaya right away.

"I would stop running if I were you," the raven ordered, holding up his switchblade.

"Hah, you think I'm afraid of _that?" _The kid scoffed although anxiety tinted his voice.

While he was distracted by Izaya, Shizuo lunged forward and grabbed on to him. But the kid's reflexes were fast and before Shizuo could get a strong hold of him, he had swung around, whipping out his own blade and slashed Shizuo. It only grazed him, fortunately, the kid was clumsy and nervous, and Shizuo grabbed him before he could cause further damage. "Got you, you fucking brat!" He hollered in triumph, twisting his arm painfully behind his back causing him to drop the knife.

"S-Shizu-Chan, you're bleeding!" Izaya cried, running over to the blonde, pointing to his forearm.

"What? Oh, that? It's just a scratch. Now let's get this bastard-"

"It's not _just _a scratch! We need to get it cleaned up."

"What. You can't be serious."

"He's right, Shizuo," Tom stepped in. "You go with Izaya and get that cleaned. I'll deal with the kid."

"You're fucking with me," Shizuo said in disbelief. "It's just a scratch!"

"Looks serious enough. Now come on, hand him over." He took the boy from Shizuo, giving the blonde a look that said 'don't go against my orders'. With that, he walked away with the boy, leaving Shizuo and Izaya alone for the second time that day.

_Oh my God. _

He felt Izaya tugged at his sleeve. "Come on, let's go."

Shizuo followed wordlessly, knowing there was no point refusing. Izaya's office was nearby anyway and, truthfully, Shizuo did feel like he needed to sit down after that chase just now. They reached the building in a matter of minutes and headed to Izaya's office where Namie was filing through some papers.

"Oh, the real thing," she commented. "Good to see you, Shizuo. Izaya's been talking about you non-stop. And here I thought you guys hated each other."

"O-oh, really?"

Namie nodded in response.

"Namie could you leave for a minute?" Izaya requested, pushing the blonde onto the couch.

"Sure..." she said before walking out. Shizuo had a good mind to call her back, and he almost did, but stopped himself.

The raven dug through his drawer and pulled out a first aid kit, setting it down on the office desk. He opened it and took out the necessary materials.

"You have to roll up your sleeve," he instructed while getting the alcoholic swipes ready. Shizuo compelled.

"Shit. That damn brat ruined Kasuka's clothes," he grumbled, inspecting the tear on his blood stained sleeve.

"I'm sure you have plenty more of that. Now this is going to hurt." The raven dabbed at the wound with a swipe. Shizuo, surprising, showed no emotions. He seemed more worried about his clothes than the cut. He watched as Izaya tended to his cut carefully with nimble fingers and he started to relax. He couldn't remember the last time someone besides himself had taken care of him and the flea was a surprisingly good nurse. It was weird that the person who used to make Shizuo chase after and curse to hell was now treating his wound. It was almost unbelievable, but it was happening.

"Hey louse. How did you know I was here?"

"Oh. I didn't know it was _you. _I just heard some commotion outside and wanted to check it out."

"Oh..." Shizuo searched his mind thinking of the right words until he finally settled with the simplest two. "Thank you."

Izaya smiled sweetly, finishing up wrapping gauze on the wound and patting the blonde's arm to indicate that. "It's ok; anything for you, Shizu-Chan. But you still got hurt though..." A look of guilt showed on his face as he stared into his lap.

"Oh, no it wasn't your fault flea."

"But I wanted to protect you!"

"Well, you helped me clean my wound which protected me from an infection. I am very grateful."

A smile reappeared on the informant's face as he lifted his head again. "Really?"

"Yeah, of course."

Shizuo couldn't help but feel a bit accomplished that he had succeeded in cheering the raven up again. He knew he was supposed to be harsher with him, but making Izaya happy didn't harm him in any way. Anyway, he had just helped Shizuo catch a snot nosed punk _and _had dragged the blonde back to his office to bandage him up; he deserved some credit.

Plus, though he hated to admit it, Shizuo felt happier when Izaya was happy too.

But _that _didn't mean anything.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapt. 5**

"Shizuo, you look sad. Come eat sushi!" Simon called out as the blonde was making his way home. Shizuo didn't want to be mean, but he wasn't in the mood for sushi or socializing.

He waved at the giant, forcing out a small smile. "Nah. Another day, Simon."

He carried on walking, ignoring the bustling of the crowds all around him. Subconsciously, he kept feeling the part on his forearm where the gauze was, where Izaya had worked on treating his cut. It was funny; he didn't even recognise this Izaya as the old Izaya anymore. They were like two completely different people because Shizuo actually _liked _this Izaya.

Yes, he admitted it, he no longer hated the flea, this new one at least. It was becoming impossible _not _to like him, it seemed. He was so warm and comfortable to be around and though it had only been two days, the change in the blonde's attitude towards him was evident. He even, with permission from Tom of course, stayed for dinner for the rest of the evening. Dinner! They were no longer enemies and Shizuo could definitely get used to that. He wasn't even praying for the spell to wear off anymore and it probably never would seeing as the blonde would have to _fall in love _with him before it did, and though he had nothing against the flea now, that still was never going to happen.

Suddenly, a squeal snapped him out of his thoughts. "Kyaa! Shizuo!" He heard someone shout.

He looked around for the source and found Erika frantically waving to him.

"Hey."

"Hi! Oh oh I heard from Tom about your situation!" She said said running over to him excitedly. She was alone today it seemed, not with her usual posse.

"What situation?" Shizuo asked, confused.

"Oh, you don't have to play dumb with me," she leaned closer to him and winked. "You know, about you and Izaya? About a spell? Kyaa! I can't believe you are in love with each other now! It's like real life BL!"

Shizuo cleared his throat, waiting for her to be done with her annoying fan-girling before adding in. "Ok, number one, _he _is in love with _me. _It's not a mutual thing. I am not in love with him. And number two, this is all because of a spell, alright? It's not real life...BR."

"It's B_L,_" she corrected, still beaming. "As in, Boys Love!"

The blonde almost gagged. "Ok then, it is DEFINITELY not real life BL. J-just stay out of it."

"What?" Erika gasped, her smile disappearing. "I can't possibly see a potential gay couple and _stay out of it! _What kind of fangirl would that make me?"

"One of a kind. And one that I will really appreciate! I'm sure Izaya would appreciate it too. Also, DON'T spread it around. I don't want the whole Ikebukuro knowing about this 'situation'." He began to walk off when he was called back yet again. "WHAT is it?"

"Geez you don't have to sound so angry. Don't get your panties in a twist."

"My panties are not in a twist. Just tell me what you want."

"Oh, well. I'm having a Halloween party. You and Izaya are coming."

"I don't think I can-"

"That was not a question. Dress up! Bye-eeeee!" And with that, she ran off before Shizuo could object any further.

_Oh, what the fuck. _Grumbling, he whipped out his phone to call Tom.

"Yello," the brunette answered on the second ring.

"Tom."

"Oh, Shizuo-"

"_You told Erika?!" _He screamed, not waiting for Tom to finish his greeting.

"What?"

"About my 'situation', as she puts it. About Izaya! And me! And the spell!"

"Alright, alright. Calm down. I might have mentioned it. But only because I bumped into her earlier with that kid we chased, and she was asking me where you were and I said you were with Izaya and she was like 'why? I thought they hated each other' and the truth may or may not have came spilling out."

Shizuo breathed deeply, rubbing his nose bridge. "Ok, Tom. Just STOP telling people, ok? Erika knowing is enough."

"Right. Noted," Tom nodded though Shizuo couldn't see it through the phone.

Shizuo hung up, not wanting to ruin his mood any further by talking to his employer turned best friend. He was getting pretty frustrated. This 'situation' was really not meant for everyone to know about and it was embarrassing. And he knew he couldn't trust Erika to keep quiet.

But still, he couldn't hide it from everyone forever. Eventually, they're all going to want to know why Izaya keeps clinging on to Shizuo and the truth would have to be told.

He cursed his own carelessness yet again for placing the spell on the flea in the first place. This whole thing could've been avoided if he just _remembered _to keep his hands firmly in his pocket that day. But well, he couldn't really say he _regretted _it; every cloud does have a silver lining. This one was that...Izaya was really tolerable now. Shizuo hardly had a problem with him now.

But the blonde was never, _ever _going to tell anyone that. Especially not Izaya. He was really doing the flea a favour (again) by not raising his hopes too high just to let them crash again. Because things were never going to work between them.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapt. 6**

Ikebukuro was seeing some peaceful days. No vending machines or street signs were flying around anymore; no raven was hopping on top of and leaping off buildings; no blonde was shouting up the top of his head screaming the same name over and over again. This was something that hasn't happened _in years _and the people of Ikebukuro were praying it would last. Shizuo, too, as he laid on the couch dressed in a thin wife-beater and sweats, flipping through through the tv catalogue on Saturday evening, trying to find something that wouldn't bleed his eyes dry.

It was really boring, but this was how he always spent his weekends.

Suddenly, as he landed on the music channel, the doorbell ring. That would be the pizza boy, he assumed, as he got up with a grunt to answer the door. He got a pleasant, or not, surprise, though, as he was greeted by a brunette in a casual suit and a raven with a bright smile.

"Shizuo!" Tom greeted, oblivious to how forced his blonde friend's smile was.

"Uh, hey guys...Tom, come here for a minute." Without any further warning, he pulled the brunette to the side out of earshot from Izaya and let the fake smile fade off his face.

"What's wrong?"

"_What's wrong? _Tom you fucking idiot! Why would you bring Izaya, of all people, into my apartment?" He hissed quietly, poking Tom in the chest.

"What's wrong with that? I thought you were fine with him now," Tom defended, shielding his chest from further abuse by Shizuo's finger.

"Why would you think that?"

"Well...I don't know, I mean, you always have this relaxed look now ever since _that _happened and you don't curse him or try to kill him anymore."

Shizuo stopped then. He couldn't argue with that because it was true; any normal person would have assumed that all, or at least most of, the hatred was gone. As Tom looked at him with a _be-reasonable _face, the blonde sighed, remembering that Izaya was still around, waiting for their 'conversation' to end.

He turned to the door where the raven was. "Well, why are you just standing there? Come in."

Izaya walked into the apartment meekly, carrying a plastic bag that looked like it was filled with cans.

"We brought beer!" Tom announced. "I thought you might get lonely at home alone, so I wanted to pop by. Then, I remembered Izaya and he was free too, so here we are!"

"Thanks for the concern," Shizuo rolled his eyes, punching Tom lightly on the arm. "I have pizza on the way but I'm not sure it's enough to feed three people."

Tom waved his hand in dismissal, ignoring the comment on the pizza and just focusing on getting all the beer out. He pulled them all to the coffee table in front of the couch where the tv was still on and sat on the floor. Shizuo and Izaya followed.

He didn't wait for them to get comfortable on the floor before popping open a can and handing it to Shizuo. He handed another one to Izaya and got one for himself, gulping it down quickly.

"Tom, slow down," Shizuo cautioned.

Izaya sipped his slowly, wincing when it sunk in.

"Hey flea, you ok?" Shizuo asked when he noticed. The raven nodded back. "God, I'm acting as babysitters for both of you tonight..."

"Aw, don't be so _sour _Shizuo!" Tom laughed, pushing him playfully while STILL drinking.

"I'm sorry, Shizu-Chan, please don't be angry."

"Don't bother about him, Izaya. Drink!"

Izaya stared at Shizuo as if asking for permission and only started drinking again when the blonde gave him a small nod. Shizuo began as well, downing his drink.

The minutes passed, soon turning into hours, and all three males were starting to get slightly tipsy, especially Tom. Already his words were slurred and his hair a mess from him rolling on the floor and laughing like a maniac at whatever the other parties said.

"Keep it down, Tom. You'll wake the neighbours," Shizuo warned though he himself was unable to stop the small grin that was creeping onto his face. Honestly, he was having a good, _great, _time. He was actually happy that Tom and the flea popped by if not, God knows, he'd probably still be flipping aimlessly through the television right now. This was a break from his usual routine, though _everything _that had happened in the past week was a break from his usual routine, with the spell and all. But, it was a nice break. He appreciated it.

He finally let a grin show.

"S-Shizu-Chan...why are you s-smiling like...that...?" Izaya mumbled from his spot next to the blonde. His face was a light shade of pink and he was having trouble speaking properly. Right now, he was staring at the blonde curiously. "You're n-not angry anymore...right?"

Shizuo patted him lightly on the back. "No, I was never angry."

Izaya smiled then, his face lighting up instantaneously. "Oh, really? T-that's good...I hate seeing you angry..."

Shizuo felt a small pang in his chest as he stared at Izaya. He looked so genuinely happy, like just hearing that the blonde was feeling alright made his entire year.

"_Hey..._will you two love birds stop actin' all lovey-dovey," Tom piped up suddenly, reminding them of his presence. Shizuo looked away quickly, his face burning up.

"W-we are not!" He argued, putting some space between them. Izaya frowned slightly, his smile disappearing.

"You were! You were!"

"Tom, stop acting like a baby!"

"Then stop acting lovey-dovey!" Tom smiled in triumph, as if proud of himself for thinking that up.

Shizuo rolled his eyes, getting up and cracking his back. "Alright, Tom, that's enough for tonight." He reached over to grab the cans of beer gathered in front of the brunette who pulled them into his chest possessively.

"No! I want more...!"

"Oh, God, stop acting like a typical drunk idiot. Come on, I'm putting you to bed." He snatched the cans away before Tom could protest and hauled him up. "Hey flea, could you help me out a little?" Shizuo grimaced as Tom swayed a little, unstable on his feet and murmuring gibberish in his drunk stupor.

Izaya hopped up and ran over, helping the blonde support him. As he did, his arm overlapped on Shizuo's. The blonde blushed, but continued walking nonetheless, pushing Tom onto the couch.

"That's done. God, this bastard. Getting drunk and leaving us to take care of him," the taller male grumbled. When Izaya didn't say anything in reply, Shizuo glanced over only to see that the raven had fallen onto the couch alongside Tom and both of them were currently passed out. _Great. _

He sighed deeply, contemplating what he should do with them. He didn't want to leave them in such a compromising position with the flea lying comfortably on top of Tom who's arm was hung loosely around the raven's waist. That made Shizuo wonder: why didn't he want to leave them like that? He could spare himself the trouble and just leave them, but it bothered him. Of course, it was because he didn't want them to wake up tomorrow morning thinking that something had happened between them; right, that was it.

Rubbing his hands together, he leaned down and picked Izaya up bridal style, carrying him into the guest bedroom. He laid him down gently on the bed and pulled the sheets around him so he wouldn't grow cold at night. Hey, he was just returning the care that Izaya had showed him a few days before, nothing more. Izaya sighed softly when the blanket was thrown on top of him and Shizuo couldn't help but think how...innocent...he looked at the moment. But he was a little drunk; it was starting to interfere with his thought process.

Shaking his head, he hurriedly left the room for his own.

...

The light creak of a door opening on its hinges woke Shizuo up in the middle of the night. At first, he thought his ears were playing tricks on him but then he, no doubt, saw his bedroom door start to open slowly as a dim light seeped in, so slowly the blonde started to think it wasn't moving at all, but it was. He laid still; if it was a burglar, the element of surprise would come in handy. But as the door opened fully, revealing a silhouette, Shizuo saw that it wasn't a stranger. It was undoubtedly Izaya standing by the doorway.

_What's the louse doing here? Is he sleepwalking? _The blonde thought. _I heard before in situations like these, never do anything sudden or abrupt because the sleepwalker might wake up suddenly and go into panic. I should just pretend to be asleep._

So, without a sound, he closed his eyes again and waited for the situation to pass. He was feeling a bit nervous, though, as he heard the soft padding of footsteps approaching his bed but he willed himself to keep completely still. The footsteps stopped all of a sudden and Shizuo could feel the raven's presence next to him. There was a pause, and then suddenly, he felt something soft press against his lips.

There was a brief moment where everything stood still; time space,his breathing, it all stopped as he realized Izaya was kissing him. His heart fluttered in his chest as its beat sped up, pounding hard against his rib cage.

Why was Izaya kissing him? And why wasn't he doing anything about it?

He couldn't move a muscle, even after the raven pulled away from him, running delicate fingers down his chest. Leaning in close, his breath just barely ghosting his lips, he whispered, "I wish you could love me."

Then, his presence left altogether and the blonde heard the door shut gently, leaving him alone again, and very, very confused.

It was the alcohol messing with then right? It didn't mean anything that Izaya had kissed him, and it certainly did not mean anything that he had enjoyed it.

They were _drunk. _

They would forget all of this in the morning.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapt. 7**

When Shizuo saw Izaya the next morning, he didn't mention the events of the previous night. It was still imprinted fresh in his mind and had given him trouble sleeping though it wasn't the fact that the flea had kissed him that was disturbing, it was the fact that he felt something other than disgust and repulsion. And although he kept telling himself to forget about it, he couldn't forget the sweetness that came with those soft lips, the slight pressure, warm breath mingling...

_Shit. Stop thinking about it! _Shizuo scolded himself as he entered the living room where Izaya was lounging on the couch.

"Good morning!" Izaya smiled brightly, his happiness almost dazzling. He notices the blonde's shirtless form and reddens a little.

Shizuo grunted out a reply less enthusiastically. He couldn't even stand to look at the flea without thinking of _that. _

"Where's Tom?" The blonde asked, noticing the couch held only Izaya.

"Oh, he's in the toilet."

Just then, two arms flopped over each of Shizuo's shoulders from behind, making him stumble a little from the force. "Shizuooooo..." The brunette attached to them whined, leaning all his body weight on said blonde's back. "I'm having a MASSIVE hangover..."

"Serves you right!" Shizuo grumbled, pushing his employer off him. "Passing out on us and leaving us to take care of you."

Tom fell onto the couch beside Izaya, still as clothed as he was the bight before, and offers an apologetic smile. "Yeah, sorry about that. But, did anything happen between you two while I was out cold?" He flashed a suggestive look which Shizuo couldn't help but blush at. The memories of last night resurfaced in his mind. Izaya was getting a little red as well. Tom, judging both their expressions, burst out laughing. "Something DID happen!"

Izaya looked over at Shizuo with a shocked expression.

_Shit, he doesn't know I know. He thought I was asleep! _

Not knowing what to do, he turned to Tom. "Nothing happened, dumbass! Ok, now, uh, to cure your hangover, I've got just the thing. Follow me." He pulled the brunette up without another word and dragged him to the toilet, pushing both of them in and shutting the door behind them.

"Great, I really need something. This headache is-"

"I didn't pull you in here for that! I need to tell you something."

Tom seemed to deflate. "So you don't have anything to help?"

"No, but something did happen last night."

Tom's face lit again immediately. "_Really?_"

"Yeah, but Izaya doesn't know that I know. See, I was asleep when he snuck into my room and...kissed me." He was a little embarrassed to say it out loud now, especially when Tom was showing him such an eager expression. But he couldn't keep it to himself any longer.

God, he was probably acting like a teenage girl who just received her first kiss and couldn't wait to show it off to her friends. He needed to get his masculinity back on track.

"Did you do anything?"

"No. I just kept still."

Tom smirked. "At least you didn't rage and start attacking him."

"I didn't know what was happening! I thought he was sleep walking or something."

"Well, I guess that isn't really important. The most important thing is...did you like it?"

Shizuo's face flushed. "L-_like _it? Why the hell would I?!"

"Oh, I don't know. Why're you blushing so hard?"

His face grew redder still. "I am NOT."

"You are," Tom replied matter-of-factly. "Oh, Shizuo. I wonder if you even know how deep in denial you are."

"Fuck you, Tom!" Shizuo growled. "You're supposed to be on my side."

"I'm on no one's side. I'm on the side of _loooooove._" He dragged out the word annoyingly, clasping his hands together and turning his chin upwards, pasting such a sappy look of his face Shizuo could almost make out hearts in his eyes.

The blonde stared at him wordlessly for a moment, absolutely speechless. Realizing that he really had nothing else to argue, he walked out of the bathroom without a word, Tom following happily behind.

"So. Anyone up for breakfast?" Tom asks heartily, beginning to make his way into the kitchen. Shizuo hates how he makes himself so comfortable in his house, but he's used to it. He hears plates and glasses clinking and sighs, plopping himself on the couch next to Izaya.

"Hey, flea." He greeted casually. "Did you sleep well last night."

"Yes, thanks to Shizu-Chan. Thanks for putting me in bed," Izaya grinned.

"So...you had a _full _night's sleep right? You didn't toss and turn or wake up halfway?"

"Nope. Why?"

"Hn. Good to hear. Just wanted to make sure that you were well-rested, you know," Shizuo replied before Tom came ambering out of the kitchen with a bowl of cereal.

"Last night was _fun!_" He laughed falling down onto the couch. Shizuo stared angrily at the milk threatening to pour out of the bowl onto his couch, but Tom ignored it. "We should do it more often!"

"No. Putting up with you is more trouble than I'm willing to accept."

"Whatever, Shizuo. Don't deny that you didn't have fun," he winked. "And I'm sure Izaya did too, so what's the worry?"

"YOU are the worry, Tom," the blonde sighed but didn't argue about the second statement.

"But it _was _fun?"

Shizuo sighed again, turning away from Tom. Tom laughed, scooping a spoonful of cereal into his mouth. Even in his drunken state, he could see that Shizuo was more laidback than usual last night. And he had even smiled at Izaya, staring into his eyes while he did so. Yeah, the brunette hadn't forgotten about _that _either. Thinking back on it made him smile. Shizuo was somewhat different now. Maybe it was because there was no one riling him up all the time since now Izaya was more focused on the opposite, so the blonde hardly got angry and he was…happier. Shizuo thought he was hiding it well, but truth is, he wasn't. Far from it. He liked this, he liked _Izaya, _he just didn't want to admit it. _So stubborn, as usual…_

"Oh, speaking of fun, you guys know about Erika's Halloween party this Saturday, right?"

"How could I not?" Shizuo grumbled at the brunette, running a hand through his blonde locks. "She practically forced the invitation onto me."

"Ha ha, I see. Typical Erika. So I take it you're going?"

"She'll stick a pole up my ass if I don't. Jesus, that woman is annoying."

"But lovable," Tom added in, then turned to Izaya. "You're going too, right, Izaya?"

Shizuo answered for him. "She said that I _had _to bring the flea along, so that's a yes. Sorry Izaya."

"Oh it's ok, Shizu-Chan," the raven replied. "I would love to go as your date!"

Sputtering, the blonde shot him an incredulous look as Tom nearly choked on his cereal from laughter. "H—how w—w—onderful…!" He managed to get out while rolling on the couch in a laughing fit.

"O—oi, Tom your cereal! Watch it," Shizuo warned. "Izaya, you're not my date. You're just my…company. You're my company for the night."

Izaya nodded in understanding but continued smiling as if everything the blonde just said had gone straight through him which Shizuo guessed was probably true. But somehow, he didn't really mind being referred to as a date.

Maybe because after last night, after being _kissed, _being seen as a date was a measly matter.


End file.
